Kotao Tomozawa was born in 1999, in Bordeaux, France, she lived in Paris until the age of five. Tomozawa came to Japan in 2004 and is currently studying at Tokyo University of the Arts, majoring in oil painting, while also participating in numerous solo and group exhibitions. Tomozawa’s unique portraits, combining slime-like materials and organic motifs, realistically depict texture, translucency, and softness, leaving an unforgettable impact once seen. Tomozawa’s works, in which extreme cruelty is wrapped up with the utmost gentleness, have many facets like an extract of this world boiled down, but the expression itself is extremely simple.
In 2019, Tomozawa formed the art unit "Tororoen" with her own mother, Mimiyo Tomozawa. In the same year, she won the Kume Keiichiro Prize, and in 2020, she was selected for the Art Plaza Grand Prize at the University of the Arts. Major exhibitions include "caché" (Hankyu Men's Tokyo tagboat) and "Tagboat Artshow" (Hankyu Men's Tokyo) in 2021, "remix" (3331artschiyoda) and "Pomme d'amour" (3331artschiyoda) in 2020. Pomme d'amour" (mograg gallery), "MIND THE GAP" (THE blank GALLERY).

PROFILE

1999Born in Bordeaux, France
2018Enrolled in Tokyo University of the Arts, Department of Painting, Oil Painting Course
Currently, based in Tokyo, Japan

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2021“caché” HANKYU MEN’S TOKYO tagboat, Tokyo
2020“Pomme d’amour” mograg gallery, Tokyo

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2021“TAGBOAT ARTSHOW” HANKYU MEN’S TOKYO, Tokyo
“It’s not that time yet” Soei Gallery, Tokyo
2020“remix” 3331artschiyoda, Tokyo
“Shibuya Style” Shop or Department Store in The Shibuya area, Tokyo
“WAVE2020” 3331artschiyoda, Tokyo
“MIND THE GAP” THE Blank GALLERY, Tokyo
“Mocozo × Art Exhibition” Pearl Bookshop & Gallery, Tokyo
“silence” Meguro Museum of Art Kumin Gallery, Tokyo
“Paper Insect Collection Exhibition” billiken gallery, Tokyo
“Axe Cover Exhibition” billiken gallery, Tokyo
“tororoen II” trance pop gallery, Tokyo
“Geidai Art Plaza Grand Prize 2020” geidai art plaza, Tokyo
2019“/” Tokyo University of the Arts, Tokyo
“WAVE2019” 3331artschiyoda, Tokyo
“Exhibition of 2019 Keiichiro Kume Scholarship Winners” yuga gallery, Tokyo
“Tokyo Independents” Tokyo University of the Arts Exhibition Hall, Tokyo
“tororoen” ( Exhibition with Mimiyo Tomozawa) billiken gallery, Tokyo
2018“Ganguro farm” (Exhibition with Andy Bolus) UPLINK SHIBUYA, Tokyo

ACCOLADES

2020Selected for Art Plaza Grand Prize, Tokyo University of the Arts
2019Kume Award